Kim Rhode’s résumé already reads like a Hall of Fame plaque. Now it comes with the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s highest honor.
At SHOT Show 2026, Rhode was presented with the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award during the NSSF Members Meeting, a recognition reserved for figures whose long-term impact has helped define and grow the shooting sports. Rhode, a Team Winchester shooter and one of the most decorated Olympic athletes in U.S. history, joins a short list of industry icons to receive the award.
“I’m honored to accept the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award from NSSF,” said Rhode. “This award represents so many of the ideals I try to uphold, such as celebrating the shooting sports, teaching youth and adults to enjoy our sports safely and responsibly and making the most of one’s abilities. In addition to my appreciation for this recognition, I want to thank NSSF for its many programs that help grow participation in the shooting sports and hunting. Some of these programs have helped develop new generations of Olympic medal winners for the United States.”
Rhode first reached the Olympic podium at just 17, winning gold in double trap at the Atlanta 1996 Games. That breakthrough launched a run rarely seen in any sport. Over the next three decades, she competed in six consecutive Olympics and earned six medals, including three golds, one silver and two bronze.
She remains the first American athlete in any individual sport to medal at six Olympic Games and the only U.S. shooter to compete at the Olympic level in international double trap, international skeet and bunker trap. When double trap was removed from the Olympic program, Rhode pivoted to skeet and kept winning, highlighted by a gold medal at the London 2012 Games where she matched the world record.
Her dominance extends far beyond the Olympics. Rhode has claimed 15 U.S. national titles and more than 50 international medals across five continents, spanning World Cups, World Championships, World Cup Finals and the Pan American Games. She competes with a Beretta DT11.
Off the range, her influence is just as significant. Rhode serves as a vice president of the International Shooting Sport Federation, sits on the board of USA Shooting and is part of the executive board for the Kids & Clays Foundation, which has raised millions to support families of seriously ill children. She is also a prominent advocate for firearm safety and for expanding access to the shooting sports for youth and women.
“Kim has an unmatched legacy in competitive shooting and is one of the most genuine ambassadors of the shooting sports,” said Brett Flaugher, President of Winchester Ammunition. “Winchester has been with Kim since the beginning of her shooting career, and we are proud to see her honored with the NSSF Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award. It is well earned.”
“It is a tremendous honor to see Kim acknowledged with the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Trang Dam, Director of Marketing for Beretta USA. “Her unparalleled competitive success and steadfast advocacy for safe and responsible participation in the shooting sports embody everything our industry stands for. Beretta is proud to support her as an ambassador, teammate and role model.”
For Rhode, the recognition reflects more than medals.
“No athlete’s career exists in isolation, and everything I’ve accomplished has been shaped by the people, companies and organizations that build, support and protect this sport,” she said. “Shooting has shaped my life through discipline, accountability and integrity, and protecting those values has mattered to me just as much as competing.”
